BISMARCK, ND — A judge on Friday reduced the bond for one of the men charged in a fatal Bismarck crash that killed two Mandan teenagers. Sidney Seidel’s bond was cut in half to $50,000 after South Central District Judge James Hill said the circumstances surrounding the case had changed since the initial bond was set.
Seidel and Cameron Schestler were charged after the Oct. 2 crash that killed Taylor Fisher, 16, and Benjamin Moch, 15. Police say the two men are accused of taking part in a high-speed sequence of events that left two passengers dead and another teenager injured.
Both defendants are due back in court on Nov. 25.
Judge says Seidel’s case now looks different than it did at the first hearing
Hill said Seidel’s original bond had been set at $100,000, but he ruled Friday that a lower amount was appropriate after hearing arguments about the case’s development. The judge did not erase the bond requirement; he simply lowered it to $50,000.
In court, Assistant Burleigh County State’s Attorney Gabrielle Goter argued that Seidel still posed a risk to the public. She pointed to his record and to the circumstances of the crash as reasons to keep the bond high.
Hill acknowledged those concerns, but said the factual picture had shifted since the first bond decision. The reduction means Seidel can secure release for less money, though he remains charged in connection with a deadly crash that prosecutors say endangered people on the road.
How investigators say the crash unfolded on West Main Avenue
According to police statements cited in court, Seidel was driving a Chevrolet Impala west on West Main Avenue at speeds in excess of the posted limit before the collision. A separate Infiniti driven by Schestler was also headed west, and investigators say the two vehicles were close to each other before the crash.
Witnesses told investigators the Impala was traveling at a very high rate of speed before it struck the back of the Infiniti. After the impact, the Infiniti reportedly accelerated away, while a surveillance camera captured the two vehicles traveling side by side before the collision.
Police used video and a time-distance analysis to estimate the Impala’s speed in the 50 mph range. The Infiniti, meanwhile, was said to have been going in the mid-60s before it slowed to the posted 30 mph limit in the area.
Teen passengers were killed and another was hurt in the October crash
The crash killed Fisher and Moch, both of Mandan. The vehicle tied to Seidel also had two passengers: a 16-year-old and a 3-month-old infant. Police say Seidel has not been allowed to have contact with the child unless Human Services Zone permits it.
Court records indicate Seidel has a lengthy traffic history in North Dakota and neighboring counties. Since February 2024, officials say he has received more than two dozen citations in Bismarck, Morton County and Burleigh County.
Those violations include five speeding citations, one violation for careless driving and two drag-racing-related charges. The day before the crash, Hill noted, Seidel had been pulled over for driving 24 to 35 mph over the limit in Bismarck.
Schestler remains on a higher bond with separate charges
Schestler was originally held on a $100,000 cash-only bond recommended by prosecutors, and that amount remains in place. He faces two counts of manslaughter and one count each of reckless endangerment with extreme indifference and reckless driving.
Each manslaughter count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the reckless endangerment charge carries a maximum of five years. The reckless driving charge is a misdemeanor with a possible jail term of up to 30 days.
During the bond discussion, prosecutors also noted that both men were under 16 when they were not charged for purposes of some bond considerations, but the court ultimately focused on the evidence and the danger the state says the crash created.
Seidel’s criminal history and the October 2 case remain central to the prosecution
Officials say Seidel’s record includes more than two dozen traffic violations dating back to February 2024, with five speeding citations among them. He was also cited in Bismarck Municipal Court for going 35 mph over the limit only about a month before the crash, and that case produced a failure-to-comply notice after he did not appear.
At Friday’s hearing, Hill rejected Seidel’s request for a lower bond before ultimately lowering the amount after noting the broader circumstances of the case. The bond reduction was tied to those changed circumstances, not to any dismissal of the charges.
Police arrested Seidel and Schestler after investigating the Oct. 2 collision that claimed the lives of two Mandan teens. The case now continues toward the next hearing date, with both defendants scheduled to appear again on Nov. 25.